Not Fast Enough
by rosemarygreeneyes
Summary: Sometimes even with superpowers you can't save everyone. The original team goes on a mission in Gotham. A simple takeout of the Joker...but nothing ever goes as planned does it? Takes place two years after the end of season 1. Has everything from spitfire to supermartian to chalant. Basically it's a version of why and how Artemis and Wally left the Team. Rated for cursing kisses.
1. Chapter 1: He's not fast enough

Disclaimer: Anyone here own the wonderful, beautiful, mega awesome, super-duper, marvelous show Young Justice? (No hands are raised). Looks like I don't own it. I feel sad now.

They weren't fast enough. No, he wasn't fast enough. Fastest freakin' boy alive and he wasn't fast enough to stop the bullet, to push her out of the way, to do anything really. He saw the gun fire too late and then he was moving, moving in a blur. Punching his opponent hard and dashing to her as fast as he could. But not fast enough. He could only let out a strangled, pain-filled scream of, "Artemis!", as the bullet entered her back. He was only fast enough to get so close that he could see the shock and pain in her dark grey eyes. Wally had moved fast enough to catch her in his arms. He gently lay her on the ground and then collapsed next to her. His bright green eyes glazed over with hurt and fear. Wally completely forgot about the fight raging around them. The rest of the team was still battling Joker's goons, and at first no one noticed the anguished speedster on the ground with his hands shaking. No one noticed the pale blonde goddess with her head on his lap.

A couple seconds later, Rocket's last blast finally knocked out the clown she was fighting. Glancing around the dark warehouse she searched for any teammates in need. Her brown eyes spotted her fallen friends and her eyes widened in fear. Rocket flew to them and created a shield bubble around her, Wally and Artemis. She crouched down next to Wally, took one look at his face and slapped him. He started and stared in despair at her and Artemis. Rocket frowned and said in a surprisingly gentle voice,

"Wally, snap out of it. She will be fine. But you have to help me, 'kay?" Wally swallowed and nodded. Rocket didn't really believe what she was saying but she had to get Wally moving and helping Artemis. Raquel stopped the flow of blood while instructing Wally how to do CPR. The rest of the team slowly trickled towards the bubble, in complete and utter shock. Robin radioed the Mentors and Superboy went to move Artemis gently. Miss Martian summoned the bio-ship, trying to leave as fast as possible. Zatanna and Aqualad were suffering their own wounds but they were forgotten as they stared at Superboy picking up Artemis. Zatanna gasped and started to sob and Robin put a hand on Kid Flash's arm. There was so much blood. The dark pool of Artemis's life was on the floor of a dark, dingy warehouse. Robin's hand tightened on Kid Flash before he moved away to embrace the quietly crying Zatanna. Wally's face was blank. But inside there was a terrible storm brewing.

**A/N: This fanfic takes place 2 years after the end of the first season. The ages are: Robin 15, Zatanna 15, M'gann 18, Conner 18, Wally 18, Artemis 17, Kaldur 20, Raquel 19, Roy 21. I'll be posting chapters once a week, probably on Sundays or Saturdays. I hope you stick with me for the ride! Please review, enjoy and what not! BTW this is my first fanfic so sorry about format or anything... **

_**- Rosemary :}**_


	2. Chapter 2: Waiting room

They were in the watchtower, all of them. Wally was pacing furiously, creating a slight blur of black and red. His face was pale with worry. Robin stood silently in a corner, tinkering with his wrist computer. Out of the corner of his masked eye he was watching his best friend. M'gann was sitting with Conner, her head resting on his shoulder. She was tired from the fight and from how hard she had pushed the bio-ship to get here fast enough. Raquel, Zatanna and Kaldur talked quietly, Zatanna's eyes darting to Robin every so often. You could cut the tension with a knife.

An hour passed and everyone's positions had changed but the mood had not. Conner had fallen asleep, his head in M'gann's lap. The green skinned girl was absentmindedly stroking his head while staring blankly into space. Zatanna's head was on Raquel's shoulder and Raquel's head was on Kaldur's shoulder. They were all fast asleep. Robin was sitting next to Kid Flash, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Kid Flash had abandoned his pacing and settled for running his hands through his hair, vibrating in distress. Robin's soft voice drifted over to Zatanna, and her blue eyes flickered open. Gently lifting her head from its place on Raquel's shoulder, she sighed. A few seats down were M'gann and Conner and on the far side of the room were Robin and Wally. Zatanna got up, her muscles groaning and her recent injury sending a flare of pain shooting through her body. She moaned and stretched. Making her way to M'gann, Zatanna gingerly felt her ribs. They were bruised badly, but it was nothing compared to Artemis. Artemis... Zatanna swallowed and sat next to M'gann. The girl's face was completely blank and it scared Zatanna slightly.

"Hey, M'gann...Are you okay? What's wrong?" Zatanna asked quietly. M'gann gave her a small pained smile.

"You mean besides our best friend being hurt and possibly dying?" M'gann asked in a monotone. Zatanna looked surprised, M'gann wasn't one to be so...blunt and pessimistic. M'gann mouth dropped open and she whispered,

"Omigosh. I'm sorry Zee, I didn't mean- We're all..." M'gann paused and took a breath.

"It's just all the emotions in here are hard to deal with. There's just so much anger, so much fear its... its a lot to handle." M'gann concluded. Zatanna put an arm around her friend. The Martian was again staring into space.

"Anything I can do to help?" Zatanna asked soothingly. M'gann glanced over at the magician.

"Not really. Maybe if you could help Robin comfort Wally...He is the source of the most emotion. "M'gann said weakly. Zatanna nodded and stood. She gave her friend a look of sympathy and then walked over to the two boys.

Robin gave her a quick nod as she approached and gestured to the seat next to him. He assumed that she was there for him to help her. Zatanna did in fact feel safer, more secure near Robin but she shook her head and instead sat next to the trembling speedster. His green eyes had glazed over, the anger, the helplessness, the panic in his mind was so apparent in the way he looked. Wally looked caught between wanting to punch something and wanting to cry. There was no happy smile, no mischievous look. This was the face of someone whose worse fear was coming true. All Zatanna could do was drape an arm around the ginger's shoulders. She pulled him to her, letting him lean his weight on her. They were still sitting next to each other, but they were still leaning on each other. It was a sort of hug, and at first Wally was tense and still vibrating, then he relaxed and stilled. Zatanna sighed, and they sat like that for a minute, the boy being held by the smaller girl. Wally pulled away and gazed into her blue eyes and muttered,

"If I had gotten there faster, pushed her away, I let her get hurt and I-

"Wally. It's not your fault." She told him firmly. At the same time Robin said,

"That's bull." in the same tone. The two brunettes shared a look and Zatanna cradled Wally again as Robin spoke, reassuring Wally. They both looked up as someone walked into the room. Zatanna stared at him while continuing to rub circles on Wally's back. Robin just gave the approaching figure an annoyed glare. Wally's face was covered with his hands and he didn't see Roy enter- or maybe he didn't care. Roy joined their little huddle by kneeling down in front of his fellow redhead. He didn't say anything except,

"Artemis is a fighter. My sister and your girlfriend will be fine." Roy deadpanned. Wally's bloodshot eyes sharpened and he opened his mouth to reply-but then the Dark Knight swept into the waiting room. His stoic face took in the scene before him and he tiredly said,

"She has two broken ribs, a concussion, some spinal cord damage and as you all know, major blood loss. Luckily she will live and will be back to normal in a month. However, she is currently unconscious and needs a blood transfusion-soon." Batman eyed the group closest to him, all of them calming Wally. He promptly decided to allow them to see Artemis. It was rare that he showed such compassion but with the stare Robin was giving him, he melted.

"You may see her now. And look over some of files to see if any of you are matches, or if you know anyone who would be willing to give blood." Batman moved away from the door to allow a still shaking Wally, an anxious Zatanna, and an expressionless Roy into the medical room. Robin paused at the door, turning back towards his mentor. He gave Batman a hug so quick, the Dark Knight almost thought he had imagined it.

"Thanks Batman." Robin said gratefully. He entered the medical room and Batman gave a small half-smile.

**A/N- Well that was fun. Unfortunately I have a little habit of trying to have EVERY single ship in my stories ****. I even tried to put in daddybats. I really can't help it. Obviously I'm trying to focus in on some spitfire but its hard because I enjoy putting in team dynamics. Anyway, if anyone wants a oneshot with a certain pairing I'll take requests! It'll help me with my writing and you'll hopefully get some fluff with your favorite pairing. I'll write any pairing except for la'gann and M'gann. Anyway, see you next week! **

**-Rosemary :}**


	3. Chapter 3: Blood Types and Arguments

The four of them were in the room, circling the hospital-like bed. Zatanna's hand had some how found Robin's and they held onto each other like a lifeline. Roy ran a hand through his hair, the only outward sign of his distress. Wally on the other hand was clenching the railing around the bed, his face showing signs of relief but his stance and body language giving the opposite impression. Black Canary and Green Arrow had already been in the room when the teens had entered. They were seated in two armchairs across from a coffee table and a white (not particularly comfy) couch. They beckoned the group towards them, away from the immobile, limp form of Artemis.

The four teens sat on the couch in the room, facing Black Canary and Green Arrow, who pulled out some files. Green Arrow laid them all out on the coffee table in between them all.

"So. Since the four of you are Artemis' closest teammates, we thought you could help us decide who can give the blood for her blood transfusion. It would be best if it was someone currently in the watchtower because we have to do the transfusion within the hour." Green Arrow explained. All of the four of them nodded and Robin proceeded to open his own file. Everyone around the table also went to open their file. Everyone was still reading when Robin took out a list of the Justice League and the Team.

"We can cross Wally, Conner, Kaldur and M'gann off the list." Robin remarked. Zatanna raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to explain why.

" Artemis is human, who knows what will happen if we mix her blood with modified DNA? So maybe we shouldn't even consider anyone with powers..." Robin trailed off, thinking about the possibilities of mixing her blood. Black Canary nodded in agreement and then eyed Green Arrow.

"I guess that leaves Green Arrow, Robin, Roy, and Batman. And I don't know if-" Black Canary started to say. Roy held up a hand to stop her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What about her mom? Or even her sister? Or what about just zeta beaming some blood up here?" Roy asked. Green Arrow shook his head, indicating they had already thought of that.

"Paula Crock is in a fragile medical situation as is. We'd prefer to not ask her, for her sake. As for Jade...Well, we don't know where she is and she is a still a criminal. We can't expect the rest of the league to be okay with having a potential threat in the watchtower, even if it is to save Artemis. And even if they were, we probably couldn't find her in time." Green Arrow answered.

"And we can't even transport a lot of blood up here, not on such short notice. And Artemis needs the blood soon so we should-"Black Canary was cut off by Wally growled,

"If she needs this much blood this badly then why the hell are we sitting here debating who can and can't do what! She's freaking dying two feet away from me and I can't even help! So let's stop talking and actually do something!" He was suddenly standing, his fists clenched and his face furious. Everyone around the table stared at him. Zatanna got up and moved to touch his arm, but Wally pulled away.

"Don't touch me! I-" He suddenly started vibrating again, his agitation too much for him to stay still. Zatanna pulled the still blurry Wally into a hug, trying to calm him down. As soon as he was solid again she pulled away and said,

"We're going to go get a drink of water and some food. The next time we come back, they-" She pointed at the people sitting. "Are going to have decided whose giving the blood. And then you are going to be relaxed and calm for Artemis. Okay?" Her tone left no room for discussion. Wally nodded helplessly. Zatanna gave him a smile.

"Good. 'Cause you freaking out and going ballistic is not solving anything. And we don't want to have to sedate you. Or slap you like Raquel did. So let's go." She pulled his arm and left the room with a still confused speedster. Green Arrow chuckled but the magician's words came back to him. They had to help Artemis. He licked his lips nervously.

" I guess it is just Me, Roy, Bats and Robin then. Everyone else on the watchtower right now has some form of powers. Robin, are you or Batman a match?" Green Arrow asked the Boy Wonder. It was hard to tell what Robin was thinking under the mask but he sighed and shook his head.

"No. Neither of us are. Sorry." His tone didn't show his bitterness at not being able to help. Green Arrow shrugged and turned to Roy.

"Just you and me then. Are you-"

"I'm a match and I'm giving the blood. End of story." Roy crossed his arms and glared at his ex-mentor. Green Arrow narrowed his eyes and asked Robin to leave as they attended to some "family business". Robin quickly left, sensing that there was about to be a fight.

Green Arrow looked at Roy and said, "Roy, I'm a match too and I think we should-"

"Ollie. I'm giving the blood. All of it. Done. No arguing." Roy stated. Green Arrow raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you...Romantically involved with her sister? Won't it make it a little complicated if you are technically blood related to Artemis? And don't forget it's a lot of blood Roy. Can you handle it?" Green Arrow retaliated. Roy rolled his eyes. And when they stilled, the blue-grey orbs were set in a hard glare. Roy grimaced and leaned over the coffee table, really getting in Green Arrow's face.

"I'm only gonna say this once because I hate how it's true. Ollie, before you became Green Arrow you were a womanizer, a playboy. You still are. Which makes you a living STD and AIDS mine. Me on the other hand, well let's just say I've been a lot more careful. I'm not letting you possibly hurt Artemis when you're trying to help her. And yeah, me and Chesh are together, so what? Its not like I'm taking Artemis' blood. Then I'd be related to Cheshire. But, I'm giving Artemis my blood. She'll be related to me. Sorry to dash your big hopes and dreams of being her hero and her real family. But even if you don't give her the damn blood, she still respects you and sees you as a father. That's as good as it's gonna get, so suck it up and let's start." Roy said angrily. Green Arrow's face was one of disbelief and Black Canary's expression was warring between amusement and annoyance at the reference to Green Arrow's love life. Green Arrow sighed and then nodded in resignation. Roy was not backing down on this.

"Fine. Change into the hospital gown and sit on the bed in the next room. Better get comfy, 'cause you'll be here for a while."

Roy smirked and moved to change.

**A/N: So, I know I said this would be weekly on the weekends, but after getting 100 visitors I felt like celebrating so I'm posting this chapter early! Plus I'm seeing Justin Bieber in concert on Monday so I'm in a happy mood in general! God I love that boy…Don't judge!**

'**Kay, back to the fic, to clear some things up, Roy is concerned that Ollie might have a blood disease or even worse, some form of an STD that is transmittable through blood. I love brotherly Roy/ the arrowfam so I had to put them in here. It was hard not to add in some longshot but I think I managed it. That's why Roy is being such a hard ass about the blood. Also, someone mentioned to me that Wally isn't angry enough but he does something a little more drastic later on in the fic, chapter 5 or 6 I believe. Hope you enjoyed, review & request! **

**-Rosemary ;}**


	4. Chapter 4:Magician and a clueless bird

**A/N: Okay, update time! Warning! This is purely a filler chapter, to build a bit of Zatanna and Robin and Robin/ Roy interaction. It's just a small stepping-stone to the central conflict so if you hate fillers feel free to review and say so and to just come back next week when the action is back ****. **

When Wally and Zatanna came back, nearly an hour and a half later, the sight that met them was a good one. Artemis was breathing regularly, some color back in her sallow face. Her body was relaxed and despite the stitches and bandages she looked...peaceful. Like all would be well. Wally gave a sigh of relief and fell into one of the unoccupied chairs next to Artemis. He took her cold hand and pressed his slightly chapped lips to it.

"I missed you," He murmured.

Zatanna turned away; feeling like the scene was too intimate, like she was intruding on something too deep for her to understand yet. Instead she looked to the adjoining room, the divisor was pushed aside and she could see the sleeping ginger. Despite his tan, he too was pale and looked weak. Zatanna shook her head. Roy wasn't weak; no matter how fragile and serene he looked he was still a strong, stubborn guy. Robin was seated right where the divisor would be, and was on his wrist computer doing God knows what. Zatanna pulled a chair next to him and straddled it. Robin grinned as she sat.

"Hey Zee."

"Hey yourself. M'gann okay now?" The magician asked, at the same time looking around the med bay. Robin noticed her searching for the Martian and shaking his head replied,

"She's fine, but she's not here."

"What actually happened? We only saw her for a second." Zatanna inquired. As her and Wally had passed through the waiting room, the martian had been inexplicably screaming and thrashing, it looked like she had been having a seizure. Her eyes were glowing and chairs were being moved around telepathically, smashing into each other. Conner was trying to stop her, trying to restrain her and it pained him to do so, you could see it in his eyes. And as soon as Wally had seen the Martian, he too started to break down. It was all Zatanna could do to get him out of the waiting room and to the dining hall without getting him or she hurt. She hated leaving the rest of the team to deal with M'gann, but her first priority was to take care of Wally. For Artemis.

"She...There was too much psychic feeling overload. Wally, Roy, Green Arrow, Me, You- she couldn't handle it. Not while she was dealing with her feelings too. She lost control. Martian Manhunter had to knock her out. W-we had to put her in a holding cell." Robin told her nervously. Zatanna's blue eyes had expanded in surprise during his explanation and now she ran a hand through her dark hair.

"Poor M'gann."

"Yeah. Poor Roy too. He got injured right before he gave blood; some of the stuff M'gann was flying around hit him. He'll be fine though, he's just bedridden for a little longer. Him and Artemis are gonna be roommates for a couple of days." Robin grinned slyly thinking of the pranks he could pull on the two of them while they were together. Then his boyish face melted into one of concern and he looked at Zatanna, looking her up and down. Zatanna shifted nervously and decided to play this flirtatiously.

"See anything you like, Boy Wonder?" Robin's head jerked in surprise, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I...I was just wondering where your battle wounds are. Are you okay, Zee?" He asked lightly, not betraying his worry for her.

"I'll be fine. You?"

"The clowns didn't even touch me."

"You are Robin."

"Don't you forget it."

"Like I could ever. You going back to Gotham soon?"

"No. I'm going to stay here 'till Artemis wakes up. We are best friends you know. I could never just leave her. Especially when she needs me like this."

At this Zatanna's easy smile turned into a strained one. She nodded tersely and said,

"Tell me when she's awake. I'll be outside." Before Robin could ask what he did wrong, she had walked angrily out of the room. He shrugged, puzzled with her sudden change in mood. He heard a soft snicker to his left, and crossing his arms he turned towards his older red headed friend.

"You are so clueless sometimes." Roy rasped. Under his mask Dick rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Whatever, Harper."

"Seriously though. You can't tell that she likes you?"

Robin looked bewildered and his fingers twitched, itching to give Roy a little punch.

"I would punch you if you weren't so weak." Robin said slightly annoyed.

"The perks of being an invalid." Roy wheezed. Robin was right; Roy was a little weak right now. He was actually having a hard time staying awake, he needed to rest and get his strength back. They had taken a lot of blood from him, more than they probably should have but Roy had thrown a hissy fit every time someone suggested Green Arrow giving some blood. Robin noticed Roy's fatigue and gave him a nod.

"I'm gonna leave you to catch up on your beauty sleep. You need it." Robin quipped. Now it was Roy's turn to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Wait, if you're not going to Gotham where you gonna go?"

"Wow. You must be really tired if you can't even come up with a good comeback."

"Not the point. Where you goin'?"

"Dining hall. Even us bats have to eat. G'nite." And with that Robin swept out of the med-bay. Roy yawned and started to doze off. Right before he was truly asleep he murmured,

"And to think all this time I thought they just sorta fed off of the darkness of night or evil or something. You learn something new everyday." And with that, Roy sank into the dark bliss of sleep.

**A/N again: This is for those of you who stayed for the 900 words that was this filler! So basically, Zatanna's a little jealous of Artemis and Robbie's relationship, Robin is good at everything but reading girls and Roy gets a slight laugh out of it. **

**This chappie sucks, I know but I need to build until Artemis wakes up (next chapter) and everything happens more from her P.O.V (third person limited). Anyway, everyone please check out my other story "Blue night or Cassie's guilty pleasure", especially you wonderbeetle fans! And then find the poll on my page about it! Review lots, **

**-Rosemary ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: Awaking

**A/N: I just want to apologize. Not only have I given you guys another annoying filler (but not as bad) but I took FOREVER to update. I feel super bad, but those of you who write know how it is: life just sort of gets in the way! **

As Roy sank into relief of la-la land, someone else in the conjoined rooms was coming out of a deep, empty sleep.

Artemis was floating, carefree, easy. It was a great feeling. She felt disembodied, unattached. It was heaven. She felt no pain. There had been hurt, suffering and sharp stabbing in her. It had hurt like _hell._ There had been an explosion in her, fireworks sparking in her eyes, feeling herself fill with the feeling of burning of pain. There had been red, red everywhere. She remembered the red. There had been so many different shades of it: fiery red in her, burning red in her back, burgundy, dark ugly, bloody red on the floor and light, beautiful, red...somewhere else. Artemis felt a tugging somewhere. Like there was something important she was supposed to know, to care about. Red...In a person? The comfortable fog that had been in her mind was starting to recede, as did the numbness that had replaced the feeling of her body. She wanted to gasp in shock as she felt the sensation of having toes, fingers, legs, torso, arms, hips, face return to her.

She had the sensation of breaking through the surface of a deep pool. Like she was awakening into the world after being somewhere else. Red. There had been red in a person. Someone she loved. It was important that she got back to that person. It felt urgent. She needed them. Artemis frowned slightly, or at least she tried to. That wasn't completely right. That person needed her too? Suddenly the fog lifted even more and she moved. She could move, could feel, and could touch. The red in the person...they-no, he- needed her now. She had to get out for him...She felt fingers on her. Gentle fingers. And her senses started to return. First she heard a male voice whisper confidently,

"Artemis." Her hearing was back. Suddenly the smell of antiseptic washed over her. Along with the smell of a dark, coppery, ugly, burgundy red. The smell of blood. Artemis' nose wrinkled in distaste.

Suddenly she heard the male voice whisper something. She couldn't make it out. The pressure of the fingers left her wrist. She tasted slight bite of mint in her mouth. That only left the sense of sight. And as Artemis realized that, the fog lifted nearly completely and she remembered what had happened. Or, some of it at least. Gunfire, a blur of black and red, pain. She had gotten shot?

"What-" She attempted to say, but all that came out was a hoarse exhale of breath. The feel of fingers on her hand returned, tighter and stronger this time. She heard her name spoken near where her ear should be.

"Artemis?" It was a different male voice, one filled with hope and desperation. One she could place.

"W-Wal-" The name wouldn't come out. There suddenly where was a finger pressed against her lips, silencing her.

"It's okay beautiful. It's fine." The voice said, relived. Artemis wanted to scowl, everything was obviously okay if they were here talking. On the other hand, she wanted to open her eyes and see all the people she loved.

"Can you sit up?" The other voice asked. Artemis nodded slowly. Now there were arms helping her up. As they moved her into a sitting position, she felt nauseous. And why the hell couldn't she see? The guys helping her, Robin and Wally probably, seemed to sense her frustration.

"Chill Artemis. Your sight should return in a couple seconds. It was just an unseen side effect to the anesthetic they used. But soon you'll be feeling the aster again." The second voice said. Artemis smiled. Definitely Robin. A soft hand was loosely gripping her arm, and another different, sticky one was holding her hand.

They were all silent for a little bit, Artemis struggling to stay out of the fog that had previously held her. The boys were whispering to each other. Artemis heard Robin whisper fiercely to Wally and Wally reply nonchalantly. Robin huffed and then said loudly,

"Okay then. Artemis...Try opening your eyes...Now."

Artemis, with some effort, cracked open her blue grey orbs. Her surroundings suddenly replaced the blackness that had been her world.

And she smiled a rare grin.

Artemis Crock was officially back.

**A/N part 2: I just realized that I do this every time, I write some lame personal message and then summarize the chapter. This time I'm also going to do some shoutouts and answer a couple reviews! **

**So, this chapter was pretty weird and a slightly different style then I normally do. If you didn't like it, feel free to say so! Its basically Artemis waking up and realizing she's awake. I guess its more of a transition chapter than a filler… Review lots!**

**Shoutout to Irenerb! Thanks lots for reviewing twice, giving me a request and waiting patiently for me to get it out there! You rock! **

**Shout out to SaphireDragon15 who is really supportive and also reviewed twice! **

**Review answers: **

**SaphireDragon15****- you said you thought that Roy hates Artemis. I totally agree with you, he sorta does in season 1. In my story, it's two years later and I assume that over time they got over it and are on friendly terms. **

**Guest****- Wish you had an account so I could give you a proper shoutout! At any rate, thanks for the review! You asked if this was a traught fic, and that's up to you to decide. If you want to see it like that, go for it. There's a reason why Artemis is the only character listed in the description. You can put her with whomever you want!**

**Review lots! **

**-Rosemary ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: Rude Awakening

**A/N: So, I was sick today and decided to finish writing! I guess being sick is useful for something…**

**And sorry to keep you all waiting but, this one's the longest so far, so that sort of makes up for it, right? Anyway, enjoy, because there's a lot of drama!**

As her vision unclouded and sharpened, Artemis gasped. It hurt. It hurt a lot. She squinted around her, not ready to fully open up her eyes. She was in some sort of medical room on a hospital bed. She could dimly hear a heart monitor nearby. The lights were harsh and illuminated an almost anxious looking Robin and a relieved Wally. With blood all over his face.

"Baywatch, why is there blood on your face? Did you run into a wall again?" The questions were the first words Artemis said fully after waking up. Robin chuckled as Wally looked at her, only slightly insulted.

"Something like that. I was trying to get him to grab some tissues before you woke up but he was being stubborn." Robin said smiling. Wally didn't nod or anything. He just looked at Artemis, with an almost lost look. As his nose was bleeding. Robin sighed and grabbed a couple tissues. He thrust them at Wally, with a determined look on his face. Wally took them, barely paying attention to Robin. His gaze was still focused intently on his wonderful blonde goddess. Artemis was glaring at the sheets and you could feel the tense silence bearing on all of them. Robin looked between the two.

"Well, I'm gonna leave you guys to catch up a little. I'll be in Roy's room if you need me." He mumbled as he walked into the connected room. Artemis' eyes followed his figure until he passed the divisor.

She sighed and turned back to a bloody Wally who had been staring at her an indescribable expression. Artemis frowned but the look was gone as soon as she had noticed it.

"So, what happened? Did I miss anything?" Artemis asked hoarsely. Wally smiled ironically.

"Well, what do you remember?" He asked back, his intent gaze resting on her grey eyes. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

" Nothing much. Fighting the clowns, lots of pain. The usual stuff that happens when you get shot. That's what happened, right?" She answered. Wally nodded, his eyes not leaving her face.

"Pretty much. Some clown got in a lucky shot-" His fists clenched here and he paused to take a breath to calm himself. Artemis looked on in confusion, but he continued.

"A lucky shot that nearly killed you. We called the mentors, got in the bio-ship and basically got to the watchtower. You were in trouble Artie. You lost a whole lot of blood." Artemis shivered. It wasn't great to hear about how close she came to death. Wally was still looking at her. Artemis raised an eyebrow and looked down at herself. She looked fine, so why was he staring?

"So then what happened?" She asked, wanting to know why she was still alive.

"Nothing much. You needed a blood transfusion and we only had an hour to get you the blood. It was pretty intense. Oh, and Roy and Ollie got in a fight about who was going to give you the blood. It was pretty funny. Or at least, that's what I heard." He said flatly. Artemis cocked her head, something was definitely off about Wally. This wasn't how her boyfriend usually acted. She couldn't even look at him straight, his gaze intensely concentrated on her face. She played with the hem of her blanket. He kept on looking. Obviously he wasn't going say anything, so it was up to her.

"Wally, what's wrong?" Artemis asked. He didn't answer. She risked a look at his face. Wally was holding his head in his hands. This was not normal. Artemis considered calling Robin over, but she wanted to try to handle this herself.

"Wally, why are-" Artemis started.

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" Wally interrupted sharply, his voice broken.

"I don't understand..." Artemis said carefully. Wally exhaled, and his bloodshot eyes looked into her grey ones. She sighed. She suddenly knew exactly what Wally was talking about.

"I'm sorry. I know what I said. I never meant to put you through this. But, it's part of the job, you know that." Artemis said calmly. Wally shook his head, now looking down at the floor.

"Artemis, you promised! You promised you'd be careful and watch what you were doing!" Wally said angrily. Artemis looked at him in disbelief.

"It's not like I choose to get shot!" Artemis snapped. She was done being calm. Wally had no right to be upset with her!

"Yeah, but you chose to leave the base when the mentors specifically told you not to. I just thought that after last time you'd think twice!"

"Don't talk about it." Artemis growled, looking away from her angry boyfriend.

"Artemis..." Wally said, suddenly gentle.

"I just don't like being benched. Is that a crime?" Artemis asked tiredly. Wally took her hand in his slightly bloody one.

" It is when you hurt the people that care about you." Wally said slowly. Artemis bit her lip nervously. Wally rubbed his thumb over hers.

"Artemis, you got shot twice in the back, in the space of two months." Wally reminded her. She flinched, and pulled her hand back.

"I said not to talk about it." She protested. Wally held up his hands defensively.

"So, we're just gonna pretend like you didn't break the rules and went out on a mission while still injured? We're just going to agree to not talk about the fact that you almost died?!" Wally asked furious. Artemis glared at him.

"Wally, stop freaking out! I'm fine and you can relax! I said I'm sorry."

Wally gaped at her, astonished.

"Artemis, you almost died. You would be dead right now. Do have any idea how upset everyone was?"

"I -"

"Miss M had to be put in a holding cell because she couldn't deal with all the emotions! Zatanna was crying and you're just sitting here like nothing happened!"

Artemis glanced at Wally's face, suddenly noticing the fatigue, the worry on it.

"When did you-"

"And what about me Artemis? I was so worried! Did you think about me?" Wally said, a pained look on his face.

"Artemis, you can't just-" He started again.

"How do you think I fucking feel? I got shot, Wally! I was useless! Just a burden for you guys to take care of! I just wanted to show that I can still be worth something. I'm human! I'm not a meta, I'm replaceable!" Artemis burst out.

Wally instantly turned from infuriated to ashamed.

"Artie, you aren't just some archer. You're part of our family, our team. We need you." Wally murmured. Artemis sighed.

"Sorry. I just..." Artemis trailed off.

"It's okay. You just had me really, really scared." Wally said softly. He took her hand again. Artemis nodded, her head feeling heavy.

"Let's not fight. And for God's sake Baywatch, stop bleeding!" Artemis said, smiling slightly. Wally chuckled and grabbed the tissues Robin had given him before.

"Sorry. Totally forgot about that." He said sheepishly. Artemis looked at him affectionately, her eyes weighted with sleep. Wally noticed.

"You can sleep, Beautiful. I'll be right here when you wake up." He said through the tissues. Artemis smiled and closed her eyes.

Of course, Batman chose that moment to appear. He glanced at the scene before him. Beneath his cowl, he raised an eyebrow.

"Am I interrupting something?" Batman asked coolly. Wally started and Artemis groaned. Couldn't she just get some peace? She had just fought with her boyfriend, had a blood transfusion and gotten shot in the past couple of hours!

"Nope." Artemis said sarcastically. Batman ignored her and looked towards a nervous Wally. "I take it Robin let you out of the holding cell." Batman stated monotonously. Wally gulped.

"Yeah, well um. Yeah." Wally said apprehensively. Artemis looked surprised.

"You were in a holding cell?" Artemis asked confused. Wally ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

"We put Wally in a cell after he broke bloody nose is from attempting to vibrate through it's wall. We had him sedated, but that obviously wore off." Batman answered. Artemis glared at Wally.

"And you didn't tell me this, because?"

"I didn't want you to panic?" Wally said unconvincingly.

"No, you were probably too busy yelling at me, right?" Artemis asked rhetorically.

Wally laughed nervously. Artemis shook her head at her boyfriend's antics and winced as she did so.

The dark knight's gaze landed on the blonde.

" Your neck hurts?" He asked. Artemis nodded gingerly. He exhaled and looked back at Wally.

"I'm going to tell her what I told you all earlier. Do you need to leave? Or can you handle it the second time?" Batman asked the ginger. Wally grimaced and said quietly,

"I think I can stay."

Artemis crossed her arms, annoyed.

"Can you guys get to the point?" She asked, disgruntled. Batman nodded, ignoring her tone.

"You are aware that this is the second time you have been shot in the space of two months?" Batman questioned.

"Yeah, and?" Artemis asked back.

"Well, both of the bullets entered the same area of your body, near the base of your spine. This... could have a lasting impact on your performance."

Artemis' blood went cold.

"Are you saying I won't be able to be a hero anymore? That I won't be able to shoot?" Artemis demanded.

"You will heal, given time. But not anytime soon." Batman answered hesitantly. Artemis was silent.

"Provided you strictly follow your rehab and conditioning program, you will be able to shoot. But if you don't keep to the program, the impact of the injuries will be permanent." Batman warned. Artemis was still in shock.

Wally, who had been avoiding her eyes, looked up.

"That's not all. Batman, tell her what you told us. All of it." Wally said, determined. He took Artemis' hand.

"Until you heal you'll be...incapacitated. You'll have to be in a wheelchair."

Unwillingly, tears sprang in her eyes as Artemis recoiled. A wheelchair? Wally's hand still gripped hers tightly. He knew about her mother, about how Artemis felt about wheelchairs. She held his hand stiffly, fear finding a little place in her mind.

"For how long?" Artemis whispered. Batman looked down at her.

" For an undetermined amount of time. The chances of your ever healing fully are slim, but we think - "

Artemis didn't hear the rest as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

**A/N: Well then. That was dramatic, even for me. Oh, and I'm sorry to all the spitfire fans, but they had to fight! I also just want to apologize for not updating, but as writers we all know how life gets in the way of being on time. **

**I don't think this chapter needs any explaining except for why Artemis passed out. She passed out from the shock and exertion from fighting. If anyone needs anything else cleared up, feel free to PM me or just say something in a review. **

**Review lots! **

**-Rosemary**


	7. Chapter 7: Helping Part 1

Chapter 7: The Aftermath Part 1

**A/N: DUN Da DUN Da DUN DUN DUH! An update! Thanks for the reviews everyone! And a heads up about this chapter, it's a bonding chapter! :) That starts off with some insults... Also, this ends in a random place, because it was getting too long and I decided to just cut it in half. **

**Warning: Language**

**See you on the other side. **

"Wake up, sis." A masculine voice commanded, the last word spoken sarcastically. Artemis groaned in annoyance, her eyes still closed.

"Fuck off, Roy. Tell Dinah I'm not in the mood for pancakes, especially if Ollie made them." Artemis mumbled to her pillow. She could feel his glare through her haze of sleep.

"That would work if we were at home, but we're still at the watchtower, smart one." Roy quipped, his voice calm. Artemis stiffened, and felt her back flare up in dull pain in response. It all came rushing back to her, the gun, the pain, the watchtower, the fight with Wally and Batman's shocking talk. Artemis groaned again, this time in misery. She didn't want to get up now. She wanted to fall in a hole and stay there for a little bit until she could deal with this.

"Then take me home! And I'll give you my pancakes as a symbol of my everlasting thanks." Artemis snapped.

"Artemis, as great as that sounds..." He trailed off, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Artemis tensed slightly, waiting for the biting insults to fly like they did when he got this way. She didn't feel up to fighting with someone else she cared about, but she wasn't going to just sit and take it either.

"How about you just get up and we can talk about what actually happened? Instead of just trying to bribe me." Roy said, suddenly gentle. Artemis moaned.

"I can't. I'm in pain." Artemis whispered, hoping he would take pity on her. No such luck.

"Yeah, right." He snorted. Artemis glared and resisted the urge to throw her pillow at him. Roy seemed to sense her actual discomfort.

"If you at least start moving I can help you sit up." Roy said, back to gentle. Artemis sighed.

"Fine. But now you owe me pancakes." Artemis said grudgingly. Roy chuckled.

"Deal. So start moving." Roy ordered. Artemis opened her eyes and started shifting towards a sitting position. Roy grabbed her arms and he helped her sit up. Artemis noticed Roy looked a bit paler than usual and had an brace on his lower leg. She raised an eyebrow and asked,

"What happened, Red? Let me guess, you tripped chasing after my sister again?" She teased. It was a running inside joke between the two of them about Jade, so Roy didn't mind too much.

"No, I got hurt trying to help you which is why I don't do it too often." Roy said, a smile on his face.

"Help me? How did you get hurt helping me?" Artemis asked, a lot more serious than before. Both of the teen archers were out of action. That wasn't good.

"A better question would be why would I help you?" Roy responded, trying to keep up the playfulness.

"Roy..."Artemis warned. She didn't want to dance around the questions. Roy was one person who would be straight with her if she wanted him to be, and right now she didn't need anybody to sugarcoat things. That would just lead to more disappointment. Roy sighed and his face turned back to it's normal stoic look. He sat heavily in the vacant chair next to her bed. Artemis held back the urge to shake him to get him to start talking. But she let him take his time, analyzing and strategizing his talking points while she examined her nails. She didn't want to look around the room. It would make it all too real. It would make it too real that she might never be wholly better. It would make it painfully real that things were going to change, big time. Like the fact she'd be in a fucking wheelchair. It wasn't that being incapacitated was the worse thing in the world, it was just that wheelchairs were a bit hard for her to deal with. Especially because of how her mom ended up needing one. And she associated them with...a loss of independence. She was already out of commission and useless. Would she become a burden too? Artemis' breath came quick and fast, panicky.

She couldn't do that to the team, she wouldn't do that to her family, she can't be out of - Suddenly she couldn't take the previously comfortable silence.

"Roy, what do you want?" Artemis asked demanding. Roy shook himself out of his thoughts and looked down at her, his expression inscrutable. And Artemis thought for a second he would argue with her, insult her like he used to.

"Do you know your blood type?" He asked instead, unexpectedly. Artemis relaxed slightly. Of course he wouldn't yell at her. That had all changed.

"No, I think it's O something though." She answered after thinking for a beat. Roy nodded.

"O positive. You should have that memorized, by the way. That way people won't have to look through files or anything." He said annoyed. Artemis glared slightly at him.

"Well, I'm sorry." Artemis said, exaggerating the 'sorry'. Roy ignored her tone.

"My blood type is O positive too. It's pretty common actually. One in three people have it. Ollie is a match too." Roy said patiently, like he was leading up to something important, but wanted her to figure it out first. Artemis stared at him blankly, recounting what had happened since she had woken up. Wally had said- Oh. It all clicked now. She slightly tilted her head, puzzled.

"I needed a blood transfusion..."She started, glancing at Roy to see if she was on the right track. He nodded, signaling for her to go on.

"And you and Ollie fought over who should give the blood..." She paused piecing together his pale face and the fact that Robin had mentioned that he was also in the med-bay.

"And you gave me some of the blood I needed, because you're the same type." Artemis concluded. Roy smiled ironically.

"Ten points to Artemis!" He said sarcastically. Then his face morphed into thoughtful.

"Actually though, I gave you all of the blood you needed. Which was about...Let's see. Give me a minute to remember. I do know you lost a lot of blood, more than I thought when I agreed to it." Roy stated. Artemis' face was one of uneasiness, her problem with being more of a burden apparent. Roy noticed and said hastily,

" I still went through with it, even though it was more than I signed up for. I had decided I was going give all the blood, and I'd be damned before I let Ollie win." Artemis looked at him, incredulous. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but she didn't get a chance.

"Right. It _was_ a lot of blood. You lost nearly four pints, Artemis. Everyone wasn't exaggerating to make you feel guilty when they said you nearly died." Roy said, eyes boring into hers. She stared at him stonily. Roy narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have any idea how much blood that is?" He asked rhetorically. She began to carefully nod her head but he just went on.

" That's forty percent of your blood. But luckily for both of us, it's only about thirty percent of my blood. And, since we did have some stores of blood up here, you got one pint from storage. I still had to give about three pints though, which is way over the average a regular person gives at a blood drive. Do you know what that means?" Roy asked her seriously, looking down at his blonde counterpart. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"It means I owe you a lot more pancakes?" She answered hesitantly. Roy glared at her. Artemis exhaled and glared right back.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Roy. Is it, thank you for saving my life when I know you don't particularly like me and only did it to get in my sister's good graces and redeem yourself or whatever? Or thanks Roy, no biggie, next time you get shot, I'll totally do the same for you? Or maybe even, thanks, now what the hell do you want?" Artemis said bitterly, knowing she was walking a fine line and not caring. Did the very guy who had harassed her and hated her for the better part of a year of her life want her to be indebted to him? The look in Roy's enraged face gave her his answer. Yes. he did want her to feel like she owed him something.

"No, smart ass. You owe me some answers." Roy growled, intently staring at her.


	8. Chapter 8: Helping Part 2

Part 2:

**A/N: Yay, part two! This starts off exactly where the other left off. Shout outs at the bottom. Enjoy!**

Artemis shrank back, a bit nervous.

"Answers to what, exactly, Harper?" Artemis asked, trying to keep up the brave front. But her hands trembled slightly. Did Roy hate her now? Was he really, truly angry? Roy was silent, his expression unreadable. Did he just come over her to chew her out too?

Artemis' internal crisis about the origin of Roy's motives was cut short as Roy spoke.

"Answers to why you did it. Why you deliberately defied orders, endangered not only yourself, but also your teammates! Why did you do it?" He asked, reasonably. But to Artemis it sounded like he was attacking her decisions. To her, he was accusing her of being irresponsible and was just looking for any reason to hate her again.

"Does it matter why? It's not like we both haven't done something like that before! You have no right to say anything bad about me! And I don't care how much blood you gave me! You don't need to freaking preach at me and sound like you're some sort of saint!" She hissed at him. Roy's jaw tightened.

"I didn't come over here to talk down you Artemis." Roy said, his voice strained. Artemis crossed her arms, still seething.

"Well, then did you come here to make me feel bad about myself? Or to drill into my head that what I did was stupid? Because Wally beat you to the punch. On both counts."

She ground out. Roy shook his head. Artemis could tell he was getting angry though, his thoughts still so hard to read. She felt a cool hand on her arm. To say the least, Artemis was surprised. Like she always was when this happened. Whenever Roy was actually gentle, it was a surprise.

"Look, Artemis. I'm not saying what you did was smart. But I do want you to know, I understand." Roy said gruffly.

Artemis frowned, and cradled her head in her hands, breathing deeply.

"I know Roy, I know. It's just... I'm still trying to process everything that's happening and...And I really do just want to go home. I'm scared, Roy. I'm scared that the team won't need me anymore, that Ollie won't want me anymore, that Wally will treat me like a piece of glass, that I'll never be a hero again and shoot my bow. I'm just scared and I don't want everyone seeing me like this or they might start treating me differently." Artemis said quietly, pained at having to explain how she was feeling. Roy looked at a loss for what to do. He and Artemis usually just had sibling like banter or were competitive. Neither of them were fond of heart to hearts. Except for that one time in Gotham...

"Artemis, remember that time in Gotham? I came to the mountain a wreck, freaking out. You dragged my sorry ass to Gotham and convinced me to keep going. Do you remember what you told me?" Roy asked, grey eyes boring into hers. Artemis looked mystified and hesitantly nodded. The ghost of a smile flitted over her features as she said,

"I said, 'Harper, now is not the time for a pity party for yourself. Especially not here where everyone can see you! Come with me before you embarrass yourself even more.'" Artemis answered. Roy waved his hand dismissively.

"After that, when we were in the park and you asked me to find someone or something that would keep me going. And I said-" Roy trailed off, letting Artemis finish for him.

"You said that you didn't know anymore what to use. I told you to treat this sort of like the ultimate competition between us until you found out why you wanted to keep going. I said that we'd keep each other going, to see who can stay a hero for the longest. Like we were just playing a game."

"But this isn't a game, Artemis. And this is also one competition I don't _want_ to win. I want both of us to keep going. So I'm going to ask you, what keeps you focused, keeps you going when it just seems like too much?" Roy asked seriously. Artemis frowned and clenched her fists, ever so slightly.

"Some of it's redemption, I guess. But mostly, proving my dad and Jade wrong. Proving to them that they don't control me and they never will. That I don't have to follow their footsteps." Artemis answered, looking down at her hands. They were calloused and slightly rough and they weren't the most delicate hands out there but they were a reminder of what she stood for and worked for everyday. She looked over at Roy's hands, his were the same. They were the same.

"So, you'll keep that in mind when you start the rehab program? You won't give up because it gets to hard?" Roy questioned, trying to gauge her determination.

Artemis stared at him in disbelief.

"Have you ever met me, Harper? I don't do giving up. Ever. And remembering my family just makes me more determined. So yeah, I'll be thinking about them when I'm doing the program." Artemis said, arms crossed. Roy patted her arm, a little awkward.

"Good. Because I don't want to have done all this for nothing. And you're too good of an archer to stop now." Roy said genuinely.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, back to her regular snarky self.

"Good enough to beat you?" She asked teasingly. Roy cocked his head slightly.

"We'll see. First you need to stick to the program." Roy said firmly, not yet ready to start joking around again

"I know, I know. I'm a little nervous about it though." Artemis huffed, a little bit of anxiousness showing through her tough exterior.

"You, nervous?" Roy asked incredulous. Artemis glared at him briefly.

"Well, even though the program is supposed to be help me, get me back out there and everything, I don't even want to know who they assigned to be in charge of it. Last time I got shot, they had Green Arrow take care of my rehab. And that was fine. But I'm just hoping they don't use this program as a chance to punish me by giving me training sessions with Batman or something." Artemis tried to explain.

"Lucky for you, they aren't giving you sessions with Batman." Roy said, amused.

"Thank God, I would've-" Artemis started, relieved beyond belief.

"You'll be training with me, sis." Roy interrupted with a smirk. Artemis felt a pit of dread heavy in her stomach.

"So that's what you came in here for. You wanted to tell me yourself." Artemis stated. Roy nodded.

"Yeah. I wanted to see how dedicated you were, and I wanted to see if you would take this very seriously. Because if you don't..." Roy trailed off. He was sure Artemis knew the consequences. Artemis grimaced.

"I know, Roy. I'm just...We can barely get through _one_ training session together." She said gesturing with her hands.

"We'll get along. As long as you do everything I say." Roy said smugly.

Artemis was silent. She was strong and had stamina, sure but, Roy trained like a crazed Olympian. And he was sort of her brother/ sort of friend. This was going to be interesting to say the least.

Artemis looked up to see Roy looking down at her, a determined look on his face. She swallowed.

Definitely interesting.

But Artemis knew, if anyone could push her to her limits, help her get better, it was Roy. She nodded.

"Can't wait to start." She said hesitantly.

Roy smiled wolfishly.

"Good."

**A/N cont: Okay, so this chapter took forever and I had to rewrite huge chunks of it a couple times, but I'm finally okay with it. The chapter was relatively uneventful but that's okay because there's more action in the next one and we get closer to the central conflict. **

**So, now Roy and Artemis, besides being tentative siblings, are now basically mentor and student. Hopefully they can stand each other for long enough to get through this. :) Zatanna, Robin, and Wally are going to come back drama will ensue! **

**Review lots, and I hope everyone watches on Saturday to show support for the show! I'm beyond excited!**

**-Rosemary **

**Shoutouts: **

**For Chapter 5: **

**Bayllarina: LOL and thanks. I'm always supposed to be doing something productive but fanfiction is **_**so**_** good. :) **

**Keepmovingforwar: I'm glad you like it! **

**For Chapter 6: **

**arbrick: Cliffhangers can be annoying, but they keep it interesting. Thanks for reviewing! **

**Bookworm2700: I definitely don't want Batsy after me! But, still no promises about her getting better... :) **

**RedHood19: Thanks! I hope the next chapters are a bit lighter, I don't want to make you cry! BTW I love your name. **

**For Chapter 7: **

**Phantress212012: Thanks for reviewing! More will be coming as soon as midterms die down! **

**Keepmovingforwar: Thank you! Roy is a bit of a hypocrite, but he doesn't care :), plus he lost a lot of blood, he's entitled to ignore people for a while lol. **

**And drumroll please... **

**Last, but definitely not least: **

**Irenerb: Thank you times like a hundred! Your reviews mean a lot and it's super awesome that you review like every single chapter :) :) Totally feeling the aster!**


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